This invention relates to a tamping tool removal system in conjunction with a tamping machine of the kind that is operated to tamp ballast along a railroad track. More particularly, the invention relates to a tamping tool removal system for removing one or more of the tamping tools from the tamping tool retainers that are carried by the tamping machine.
A conventional tamping machine has a plurality of tamping tool retainers that are oscillated upon operation of the machine. A tamping tool is connected to each tamping tool retainer by a connection that must allow removal of the tamping tool inasmuch as tamping tool bits require regular replacement from use. Since the installation of a tamping tool in its tamping tool retainer must be as firm as possible, a tamping tool retainer usually has a tapered bore for receiving a cooperating tapered shank section of the tamping tool. As the tapered shank section is drawn into the tapered bore by a tightening bolt, the fit becomes very tight. Furthermore, the tamping action during operation of the tamping machine tends to drive the tapered shank section even further into the tapered bore creating a strong compression fit and making subsequent removal of the tamping tool extremely difficult. Use of a sledge hammer, as is conventionally done, can take an hour or more and can produce flying chips hazardous to a person's eyes.
The tightening of the tapered shank portion into the tapered bore has conventionally been done by threading a bolt down against a retaining washer. The bolt is threaded into the top of the tamping tool shank and the retaining washer is pressed downwardly by the head of the bolt against a wall of the tamping tool retainer. That wall is defined by the bottom surface of a recess in the side of the tamping tool retainer that is provided to give a wrench access to the head of the bolt. Because the recess in the side of the retainer is necessarily small, operation of the wrench is confined by the side walls of the recess and only short rotational strokes of the wrench can be made. Consequently, in order to remove the bolt to allow removal of the retaining washer, many actuations of the wrench are necessary. Thus, removal of the conventional retaining washer has taken a considerable amount of time and effort.